The present invention relates to protection of a security system from power surges, more particularly it relates to an apparatus for the efficient and quick replacement of surge protection devices.
Security systems for controlling accesses to a restricted area are in common use today. Apartment complexes, gated communities; individual residences; office complexes; factories; and research facilities often have these systems. Typically, the system consists of one or more gates located at various entrances to the restricted area, which require the entry of a code into a communication unit located at the gate or calling a person on the communication within the restricted are in order to have the gate opened and thus allow access. Some systems also use radio transmitters that communicate with a transponder located in a vehicle arriving at the gate to identify whether the party has authority to enter. These systems also include gate operators or controllers, gate motors as well dedicated computer systems to control the operation and functioning of the system.
Most security systems in common use today have units located in the open or other areas where they are exposed to the natural elements and other potential hazards. These include security gates with all of the auxiliary systems necessary for the gate to operate including a gate motor, gate controller, local communication unit, dedicated computer system with software for the system to properly function, etc. One of the more common hazards such units are exposed to are power surges from lighting strikes, errant power line surges or the like. In fact damage or disablement of security system as a result of a power surge has been a persistent problem since the advent of movable barrier security systems.
In the past some manufactures, if they use surge protectors at all, relied on standard type of surge protection devices made for general-purpose use. These devices typically come in a simple package. Although these surge protection devices protect the system from power surges when such episodes occur the power surge often results in the burn out of the surge protection device either by design or simply as a result the magnitude and extent of the surge. In such situations it is necessary for a technician to service the unit to replace the burned out surge protectors. This entails identifying the burned out surge protectors, disconnecting them from the system, replacing them and connecting the new surge protector into the system. Since these problems can frequently occur the need to send a highly trained technician out to the site to conduct the repair adds significantly to the cost of repair. Given the complexity of the typical security gate unit, which as noted, not only includes a motor and gate controller, but sensors to detect the presence of a vehicle, a dedicated computer and communication units, multiple disconnections will have to be made after the affected surge protectors are identified and reconnections made upon replacement. Any errors in making the disconnections or reconnections can result in an inoperative system. Additionally, the technician generally has to know which surge protector or protectors have blown due to an over load in order to know which type of surge protectors to take when making the service call on the disabled unit. Surge protectors that are incorporated into a standard terminal block have been available for years. However, installation of a standard terminal block with surge protections circuitry incorporated into it also requires a trained technician to complete installation in order to assure all of the correct connections have been made. Thus although, use of standard terminal blocks that incorporate surge protection devices has been common with various types of electrical equipment for years, given the complexities of the systems they are used with they still require a trained technician fully familiar with the equipment being serviced to assure proper installation.
Thus, what is needed is an efficient and economical method and apparatus to facilitate the manufacture, repair and replacement of surge protectors on security units that have been disabled by transient power or lightening induced surges. A method and apparatus that can replace burned out surge protectors and ready the unit for continued use that does not require the presence of a highly trained technician and that can be accomplished by a person without significant training including the owner of the unit.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus to facilitate the repair and replacement of burned out surge protectors in and efficient and economical manner. It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide a method and device that will allow the repair and replacement of a surge protector by a relatively untrained individual. It is yet a further aspect of the present invention to provide a surge protection apparatus that is both durable and cost efficient to manufacture.
The present invention accomplishes these and other objectives by providing a modular terminal block having: a) a first set of modular connectors that make detachable conductive connections with components of a security system control unit; b) a second set of modular connectors that make detachable conductive connections with peripheral components of the security system, each connector of the second set of modular connectors being conductively linked to a specified connector of the first set of modular connectors through at least one surge protection device; c) wherein the first set of connectors are specifically identified for connection with at least one connector of the security system control unit and second set of connectors are specifically identified for connection with a connector of at least one peripheral device of the security system to thereby provide for ease in connecting and disconnecting the modular terminal block; and d) wherein the first and the second set of connectors with surge protection there between form a compact modular terminal block that can be easily attached or removed from the security system.